


Building Stars Together

by sororexitium



Series: Peter's Special Power Is Wrapping Tony Around His Tiny Finger [1]
Category: Amazing Spider-Man (2012), The Avengers (2012)
Genre: Gen, Kid Fic, M/M, Minor Character Death, Peter has a crush on Aunt Natasha, Superfamily, Superhusbands, Tony is an awesome dad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-09-02
Updated: 2012-09-02
Packaged: 2017-11-13 10:00:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,683
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/502258
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sororexitium/pseuds/sororexitium
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“JARVIS. Lights.”</p><p>The lights go off and for a brief moment they’re both in darkness. Peter shifts uncomfortably, the darkness too close to a closet that he hid himself in as he heard seven gunshots downstairs at his aunt and uncle's house. But then the soft blue light inside the night light comes to life and stars light up on Pete’s ceiling and around the walls; a few even fall on the floor.</p><p>“Well, how ‘bout that, Peter Pan. You got all the stars right here in your room.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Building Stars Together

**Author's Note:**

> Superfamily feels are evil and I love them. This is part of an entire story line that I have and that I will most likely continue. This story just wouldn't leave me alone, so I bent to the will of the plot bunny and typed this out last night.
> 
> Hope you enjoy!!

Steve is sitting on the couch drawing the scene in front of him while trying to look like he isn’t drawing the scene in front of him.

Peter sits on the floor with his Aunt Natasha. They’re both coloring in his adventure book, which surprisingly isn’t Iron Man themed despite the fact that Tony had bought it for him. It’s actually themed from Pixar’s Cars, and Peter takes special care to outline the cartoony vehicles with his crayon before filling the rest of it in with a heavy hand. Every so often he’ll look at Tasha and she’ll give her frank approval of his skills before she returns to her own car.

Peter has only been in the Tower for six months, now, and though he looks way too much like Tony, Steve is shocked by how very un-Stark he is. Peter is quiet, which considering the circumstances of how he came to be in Tony’s complete custody isn’t the surprising, but he’s also cautious and mindful. When a hyper mood strikes him the torrent of energy is contained, only small trails to tell an onlooker that a child tore through on a sugar-induced high.

Peter pauses in coloring and looks up to Tasha for long seconds before she looks over at him. Tony says that he has a major crush on Widow, and Steve kind of thinks it’s true. The little boy will spend time with the other Avengers—Steve puts in his fair share of babysitting time while Tony is on rare and sparse dates—but if Natasha is around, Peter will even abandon Tony’s lap to go sit in hers.

Natasha gives him a smile which Peter returns.

Natasha is the only one on the Avengers’ team who knew of Pete’s existence before that fateful day six months ago when Tony called from the hospital, shaken and near distraught. Steve doesn’t know all the details, but Tony had told him earlier that same day that he was going to be out for a couple of days and to call if he was needed. The next thing Steve knew was that Natasha was breaking their sparring session to answer her phone and then she was calling Pepper and getting ready to go to the hospital.

Later, he learned that Peter’s mother, step-father, aunt and uncle had all been gunned down in his aunt and uncle’s house. Peter had been locked in his room until Tony showed up to pull him out of the closet he had hidden himself in. The first month he wouldn’t leave Tony’s arms without crying and throwing himself on the floor. The second month, Pepper and Tasha could hold him but he seemed to always be looking for Tony if he wasn’t in the room. By the fourth month, somehow, someway, Steve had been added to the list.

Now, Peter is slowly settling in with the team. He likes Bruce well enough to continuously give him stuffed animals. Clint won him with some old circus tricks that he remembered and didn’t mind sharing to get Peter to smile. Thor, though, Thor took some time for Peter and even now, he’s not entirely sure, because Thor is huge and loud and boisterous. He makes up for it though by always settling down on his haunches so he’s more Peter’s height. It seems to help, and usually turns into Tony plopping his son down on Thor’s back so Thor can give him a pony ride.

Steve smiles at the memory of the small boy settled on Thor’s back as he tries to catch Peter’s smile on paper, tries to focus on how much happier Peter seems to be since Tony brought his four year old son into their lives, cooing and shushing the crying boy.

His smile only grows when he thinks about how Tony is with him. Steve never really would have guessed Tony to be quite as good as he is at being a father. Tony, who’s is brazen and obnoxious and doesn’t seem to have any head for rules or following orders; who’s impatient and sometimes easy to anger and sometimes so fucking self-centered it’s mind-boggling tries to be there 110% for his son. It’s not easy, and Steve can see it, the struggle to keep everything in his life balanced, to be a hero, a SHIELD consultant, and inventor and a board member for his company, as well as coming home and making sure Peter sees him and he can play with his boy.

He manages it though and it warms Steve’s heart to see the way Tony’s attention can dwindle down to his son as he talks softly about a dinosaur toy he’s made a world for.

JARVIS startles Steve, addressing Peter and telling him, “It’s noon, young sir. You’re father set a reminder for you.”

Before Steve can really even blink, Peter is up on his feet and off like a rocket, leaving Steve on the couch and Natasha still coloring on the floor, her feet kicked up in the air and humming a little tune to herself.

*

Tony wakes up to a repetitive, if soft, “Daddy, Dad, Daddy, Daddy,” and a small hand patting his forearm insistently. Strangely, it is now Tony’s favorite way to wake up, second to none and followed closely by Steve snatching his blankets away and declaring he cannot sleep the day away.

He takes a deep breath and opens his eyes to see Peter’s wide, delighted eyes, eager excitement written plainly on his face as he bounces just a little on his feet. Tony manages a small, tired smile for him, having only gone to bed at seven. “Is it that time already, Pete?”

The little boy nods enthusiastically, pointing to the digital display to show that it is 12:07. “Jarbis told me. He said you set a reminder f’me.”

He nods, pulling himself up to a sitting position on his bed and resting his elbows on his knees to get a good look at Peter. He’s dressed in a small t-shirt that has a Decepticon symbol on it and some old jeans that are scuffed up. It’s perfect for a day down in the lab. All Tony has to do is drag on a pair of his jeans and they’ll be ready to go.

He stands up, brushing his hand through Peter’s hair as he goes, making a quick trip to the bathroom to splash some water on his face, use the toilet, and brush his teeth. When he comes back, Peter is sitting on his rumpled bed, bouncing softly and kicking his sneaker clad feet against the box spring. Tony smiles at the scene as he grabs some of his own scuffed up jeans.

“Did someone remember to feed and water you, Peter Cottontail?” he asks as he pulls on his pants.

Peter nods. “Aunt Nat made me cereal f’breakfast and Cap made me a peanut butter sandwich f’lunch. He made you one too, an’ he said you better eat it or he’ll put peanut butter in the movie player again.”

Tony rolls his eyes at his son’s words. Peanut butter in anything electronic is one of Steve’s favorite threats, and has been since one of their loud, if petty fights about a year ago. Steve was feeling childish afterward and put peanut butter in one of Tony’s tablets, making sure to take the cover off to get it in the wiring and motherboard. It had taken hours to fix. The BluRay player had been even worse. Steve could sometimes be a real dick if he wanted to.

“Alright. Alright. Let’s go pick up this sandwich if we don’t want to spend the day fixing Cap’s passive aggressive attacks on my poor electronics,” Tony said, pulling Peter up off the bed and settling him on his hip. Peter giggles, because he doesn’t get the luxury of having Steve attack his remote control car with food products, and he settles his hands on Tony’s shoulder for balance.

“You’re silly, daddy,” Peter says as the exit his room.

Tony pats his butt with his free hand. “You had to inherit it from someone, spider thing.”

Peter makes a face at the nickname that Tony came up with just for the fact his son has a huge thing for Natasha and has since he was two years old and the spy first made an appearance in his life. Pepper never had that much of his son’s affection and Pep is great with kids. Tony had once entertained the notion of what it would be like for Peter to call her mom the same way he had called Mary’s husband dad, but the fact of the matter is that Tony and Pepper aren’t good for each other on a romantic level. She is Aunt Pepper, and Natasha, even though Pete has a huge crush on her, is Aunt Nat…the favorite aunt, despite her creepiness.

In the kitchen, Tony’s sandwich is wrapped in a paper towel with a small note on top that says, _Tony’s! Don’t touch, Clint!!_ The paper is from Steve’s sketchbook and the writing utensil looks to be one of his pencils. Tony takes both it and the sandwich on his way to the elevator.

They have to cross the living room, and he raises his sandwich to Steve in a silent, _‘I’m eating, leave my entertainment system alone, jerk’_ that Steve seems to understand if his smirk is anything to go by. Natasha is on the floor , her legs kicking in the air as if she’s a little girl instead of a deadly assassin as she colors in a book Tony doesn’t recognize while a few of Peter’s are scattered around her.

As they go through, Tony tells his son, “Okay, let’s go through the three rules of the lab.”

Peter dutifully replies. “Don’ go near the welding station or Jarbis will tattle.”

“Good. Next?”

“Don’t do anything wifout you watching.”

“Right. And the most important?”

“Have fun.”

“That’s it. We are now ready for a day of inventing, baby boy!” Tony declares as they reach the elevator. Peter reaches out to press the button with enthusiasm only children can muster. Inside, Tony shows which button goes down to his lab. He’s explained to Peter that JARVIS won’t always let him into the lab, but if he needs Tony’s attention JARVIS will alert him and Tony will come to him.

It’s been a fact Peter has known all his life. Even when Mary and Rick were still alive and Tony only saw his son for a few weeks out of the year, Tony always made sure that Peter knew how to get him and Mary and Rick made sure to reinforce that simple truth that Tony would be there for him even across the country. Even before Peter could speak, Mary would call once or twice a month and let Peter babble at him.

Tony feels a pang in his heart at the thought of his long gone friends, but he pulls himself out of it when the elevator reaches his lab and Peter starts wiggling in his arms, ready to be set down. He runs up to the glass doors waiting with wide, impatient eyes for Tony to reach him and press his palm to the security pad before pressing in his code.

Peter slips in before the door is barely open, looking around the lab with amazed eyes as he always does when Tony brings him down so they can work on something together.

Dummy and You whir to life, coming to inspect their creator’s son as they usually do, clicking and buzzing happily even when Peter scoots closer to Tony. There are blue holograms over all over the lab, but with a clap of Tony’s hands they compact and move to their respective places. He shoos away his robots, settling as hand on Pete’s head, walking them further into the lab.

“Okay, Peter Pan, Operation: Night Light is a go!”

*

Steve makes his way down to the lab about ten minutes before Clint is ready to set the table for dinner.

They didn’t used to have dinner together, but with a four year old running around the tower—a four year old they all adore—they try to have some semblance of normal. Between he and Natasha, Peter’s breakfast is covered. By lunch, either Tony is up or Steve will make them sandwiches. Dinner is a team affair though. If everyone is at the tower, one of them will buckle down to cook and a table will be set up with plates, silverware and dishing implements.

Peter’s psychologist says that the normality of such an act has helped Peter adjust a little more.

He reaches the lab floor and keys in his code, stepping into the lab that isn’t blaring music, although Steve can still hear Metallica thumping over the base.

Peter is standing on a stool, one that Steve knows Tony made just for his son. It has three steps and enables him to see over the work bench. His father is right behind him, his arms around his son and guiding his movements. They seem to be tightening a screw into a metal lampshade with shapes cut out of it. As Steve maneuvers closer, he can hear Tony murmuring to Peter softly, instructing him.

“Keep twisting the screwdriver, baby,” he says, his eyes watching intently as Pete looks at their creation with complete concentration. “That’s good. Is that as far as you can tighten it?” At his son’s nod, his large hand covers Peter’s. “Here. Let me make sure it’s good and secure.”

Peter’s hand falls away. He looks up at Tony with his large brown eyes as the man twists the bolt three more times.

“There we go. Now all we have to do is put this in your room and you should be nightmare free, little man.”

Peter almost looks happy, but still seems a little hesitant from what Steve can see. His smile is a little dim in the florescent glow of the lab. Steve knows he’s been having some very bad dreams. Hell, with what he’s been through Steve would be more worried if he wasn’t waking up cold, sweating and crying for Tony to come get him.

A few times when he was babysitting, he would be jerked away from his reading from loud cries for ‘daddy!’ which after a while, when Peter grew used to the fact that Tony was out for the night, turned into screams for ‘Cap! Cap!’ Sometimes on really bad nights, Peter would call for mommy and would make himself sick when he remembered that mommy wasn’t coming back.

Tony rubs Peter’s arm, having apparently caught on to Peter’s apprehension. “Hey,” he murmurs quietly. “If it doesn’t work you can still come get me.”

“An’ Cap?”

Tony pauses, but his hand doesn’t stop its comforting motion.

He and Tony have been…dancing around each other since before Peter came into their lives as a complete fixture. They’ve been circling around each other since before he and Pepper broke up a year ago, actually. But no one has really made a move and with Peter they seem to be at a stalemate. Tony will sometimes go on dates and Steve will watch Pete for an hour or two before Tony comes home once again berating himself for being too hung up on his son and scaring away another dame.

Steve, too, goes on a date here and there, but somehow always ends up calling it an early night, having spent the evening wondering how Tony and Peter are doing, if they’ve eaten, if they’re watching a movie or down in the lab.

It usually ends up on a couch with Peter snuggled against Tony’s side with Steve’s hand wrapped around his as they watch a Disney movie to settle the child for sleep.

When Tony seems completely unsure of the answer, Steve makes himself known. “You can always come get me, buddy.”

They both startle. A trait that all Starks seem to have, they are surprised easily when wrapped up in something. When they turn their gazes towards him, he smiles, feeling a little sheepish for having interrupted this moment. He forges on though.

“Dinner’s almost ready. Peter, you should go wash up.”

Peter nods, hopping down off his step stool to go to the bathroom in the back of the lab. Tony stays where he is, smiling a little at Steve from his place by the new night light.

Steve returns his smile, coming over to get a closer look at their creation. Like everything Tony does, it’s pretty much near flawless. The stars are perfectly cut and the edges have been ground down to make it safe for Peter to touch and move as he needs. There’s hardly any seam from where Tony welded the two ends of the metal together.  Now that Steve is close, he can see that there is also a top that has a few stars, but this one has been screwed in, probably to the lighting apparatus.

It warms him to know that Tony has been working on this with Peter all day. The designs from his other works aren’t anywhere in sight. It was only Tony, Peter, and this night light that they built together. “You’re really good with him.”

“Yeah, well…” Tony shrugs. “I’ve had a lot of instruction on how not to raise a child.” He looks down at the lamp, and there’s a little bit of bitterness there but it passes after a second for another softer, more painful look. “And Mary and Rick helped…when they were still alive.”

Tony doesn’t talk much about them, so Steve really doesn’t know what to say without sounding eager for their past together. It’s hard to refrain for questioning, from looking for answers. He’s often thought about it. Wanted to pin Tony or…on more desperate days Natasha or Pepper what the hell went on there, how Peter came to be. He keeps telling himself that Tony will tell him when he’s ready though.

Peter comes out of the bathroom though, at which point Tony completely shuts down whatever conversation they might have with a single look. “You ready, webhead?”

He nods, holding out his arms and Tony bends down to pick him up with a loud, dramatic groan. “Either you’re getting too big, I’m getting too old, or you worked me _way_ too hard today, baby boy.”

Peter pats his chest, his arc reactor, sadly. “You’re old, daddy.”

Steve snickers, unable to help himself at how depressed Peter looks to have to tell Tony that as well as how absolutely devastated Tony looks.

“Oh, thank you so much, Pete. I’m gonna make you eat leftover coleslaw and sprouts just for that. No yummy food for mouthy people around here.”

Peter doesn’t look like he believes Tony at all and proves it by telling him, “I got it from you.”

Steve grabs the nightlight from the work station and starts herding them both out of the lab. “He has a point, Tony. If we go by that rule, you have to eat coleslaw and sprouts too.”

Tony turns back to give him an unimpressed look. “You!” he says, pointing a finger at him. “Are supposed to be on _my_ side.”

Steve shrugs. “I call it how I see it. Peter’s right.”

Tony rolls his eyes but continues for the elevator, which Peter reaches out to call for them and once inside presses the button for their floor, where Clint will have dinner waiting.

*

That night, after Peter’s bath and a movie together in the living room, Tony fixes the night light into the ceiling.

Peter is sitting on the bed, his lower lip caught between his teeth and his Batman comforter wrapped in his tiny hands. Despite the nervous tics, he looks set, determined, like he’s going to make it through the night without a nightmare and their creation will give him the power to do so.

Once it’s securely in the ceiling, Tony goes to sit down by his son, pulling him into his lap. The night light is set with sensors so that when the main lights go off, the light inside the metal casing will immediately start up. Tony knows it will work, but he still sits with Peter in his lap for this first run.

“JARVIS. Lights.”

The lights go off and for a brief moment they’re both in darkness. Peter shifts uncomfortably, the darkness too close to a closet that he hid himself in as he heard seven gunshots downstairs at his aunt and uncle's house. But then the soft blue light inside the night light comes to life and stars light up on Pete’s ceiling and around the walls; a few even fall on the floor.

“Well, how ‘bout that, Peter Pan. You got all the stars right here in your room.”

His little boy nods happily, his face proud as he stares around the room. He snuggles into Tony’s chest, his hands finally releasing the blanket to wrap in Tony’s t-shirt.

“I love you, daddy.”

Tony looks down to his son, staring at him and not for the first time wondering at how this could be his son, how Mary could have picked him out of all her friends to donate sperm for her. He wraps his arm around Peter’s middle and holds him close, pressing a kiss to his unruly hair.

“I love you too, baby boy.”

Peter doesn’t sleep through the night, but when JARVIS calls him up from the lab, Peter meets him at the elevator instead of being too scared to move from his bed. There are still tear tracks down his face, but the worst of it is over and when Tony settles him down next to him in his bed and pulls up a movie, Pete goes back to sleep after only a few minutes instead of watching movies for the entire night until the sun comes up.


End file.
